Omanyala to face Jacobs today at the Meeting Lievin, France

The Kenyan sprinter and commonwealth 100 meters champion, Ferdinand Omanyala is expected to face off against the Italian gold medalist Marcell Lamont Jacobs today at the meeting in Lievin, France.

The African fastest man collided last year in the 60m race at the same venue whereby Lamont Jacobs clocked his best time of 6.50 seconds and Omanyala finished in the fourth position by clocking 6.57 seconds.

During the world athletics indoor championship that was scheduled last year on March 18 to 20, both Omanyala and Jacobs participated but never crossed paths. Omanyala never made it to the finals since he finished fourth in 6.64 seconds.

 Jacobs on the other hand claimed the fourth heat in 6.62 seconds and also won the semis in 6.45 seconds before he was awarded the world indoor 60m title when he clocked 6.41 seconds during the finals.

Omanyala has successfully accomplished 3 events in France this year, whereas Jacobs has competed in one race in Poland since August last year.

On February 3^rd, he finished second clocking 6.60 during the elite indoor track Miramas meeting, the 27-year-old later won the Mondeville meeting where he clocked a national time record of 6.55 seconds on February 8^th before missing his own record by 0.1 sec in Paris on February 11^th.

Jacob executed his return at the Orlen Copernicus cup on February 4^th by winning his 60m semifinals clocking 6.61 seconds before achieving 6.57 seconds at the finals.

The Olympic 4x100 relay champion is expected to line up for the 60m race in Lievin. The Lievin race includes 5 sprinters with the best points of 9.85 and above in the 100m.

Omanyala is optimistic about his face-off with Jacobs and hopes to improve his national record of 6.55.

Elsewhere, the 800m bronze medalist, Moraa, who finished fourth during her race in the world indoor tour at Orlen is also hoping to improve her record of 2.01 when she faces former Ugandan world 800m champion Halimah Nakaayi.

The two will take on Natoya Goule, Jamaican 800m champion who clocked 1; 59; 62; and Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu, who finished fourth clocking 3:57:60 in the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

In addition, the bronze medalist, Kipsang will face champion Jacobs Ingebrigtsen in the 1500m race.

During the last year’s race, Ingebrigtsen improved the Moroccan star, Hicham el Guerroujs record of 0.21 by clocking 3; 31; 80 breaking the European indoor record.